The Masked Singer

[Chapter Twenty Eight]

Chapter Twenty Eight

I wake to the sound of someone repeatedly calling my name, demanding that I get up. Right now I feel like death and sleep. My legs are attached, barely, and my toes hurt. I think it's best if I decide when I wake up – and that's going to be later in a couple hours' time. And this is the reason why I don't exercise, it hurts.

"Time to get up," calls Dad.

"No, sleepy time," I mumble into my pillow.

"Riley, wake-up, we're running out of breakfast time," Dad calls back.

Snuggling further into my warm covers, I put my pillow over my face and hide from the outside world. I understand why people sleep the morning away, and I don't blame them for it either. Why would anyone want to get up early from their late nights – I don't think coffee will make things better either.

"Since I'm the only one up, I better answer the door and let this Alex guy in," he casually yells out.

Dad's sneaky stunt does the stick. My eyes pop open and the tired, sluggish feeling inside of me disappears. I feel on edge, nervous until I catch the bright gigantic smile on his face. The evil plots my parents will do to get me out of bed always seems to amaze me.

"You're sneaky, real sneaky you know." Dad laughs and moves away from the doorway.

Throwing the covers away from my body, I climb out of bed and stomp out of the bedroom and into the main living space. I head straight for the small kitchen area where the room service menu is placed. I spend a couple of minutes looking through the breakfast items despite already knowing what I want to order.

Hopefully the pancakes are as good as the last batch from the previous hotel. You know you just want to see pancake boy again, a thought pops into my head. And of course I want to, just as Riley though. I can't be Sienna around Nathan, I'm too afraid he'll connect the dots. 

When I get back to New York, I'll only have a couple of days for Riley. I'm not sure how I'll pass off being in New York a second time. I don't want to have to lie to Nathan any more than I have to lie to Alex about myself. I want to feel real to at least one person.

"Have you decided on your breakfast?" asks Dad.

He comes and stands next to me at the kitchen bench. I point out the food items I want as well as a mango smoothie and a bowl of fresh fruit to be healthy.

"I think I can remember all of that." He takes the menu from my hand.

"Just call if you need me. I'm going to start getting reading," I say.

Dad nods his head, "Sounds good." He produces his mobile phone and begins tapping in the room service number located at the top of the food menu.

"Have fun." I grin.

"Don't forget you have to be in the studio at nine," he adds.

At the mentioning of 'don't forget', I remember the one thing I was trying not to forget. Breakfast with Alex at the restaurant in the lobby. On any other day it would look like an accident, but after our almost kiss last night, it would look all shades of really bad. I don't want him to gather the wrong impression from my absence.

Rushing into my bedroom, I grab my mask off my side table and pull it on. I drag my fingers through my hair to remove the tangles. I still want to look decent despite greeting Alex in my pyjamas. With my complexion a fraction neater, I run back to the front door. 

"Just need to speak to Alex for a second," I yell out before disappearing outside the hotel room.

Dad yells something, but it's muffled when I close the door behind me. Probably something about this new, silly rule he's trying to implement. I'm just stepping out for a minute, I'll be fine. I don't plan on walking to any dangerous neighbourhood.